Installation of electricity smart meters for residential customers | Mpumalanga News

OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER

The RT 29 Smart Metering Programme is a modern electricity metering initiative by National Treasury that introduces smart meters and a central management platform.

The City of Mbombela has been selected as one of the grant recipients to implement this project.

As part of the project both existing conventional and prepaid electricity meters will be replaced with smart meters prepayment system.

It is meant to improve service delivery, billing accuracy, and revenue protection across the City of Mbombela.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this notice, is to:

(i.) Inform the residential customers of the City of Mbombela in the areas where the municipality supplies electricity about the smart meters

installation project.

(ii.) Request affected residents to allow access to their premises to the duly authorized and clearly identifiable field workers for the installation

of the smart meters.

OBJECTIVES OF THE RT-29 SMART METER INSTALLATION PROJECT

The primary objectives of the RT29 smart meter installation project are to:

(i.) improve billing accuracy,

(ii.) enhance revenue collection,

(iii.) reduce electricity losses,

(iv.) enable remote meter reading,

(v.) improve customer service,

(vi.) strengthen the municipality’s energy management capabilities,

(vii.) modernising its electricity distribution network and

(viii.) supporting the City’s Digital Transformation and Smart City initiatives.

BENEFITS TO CUSTOMERS

Customers will benefit directly from this project. Benefits include: –

(i.) No payment required. The meter installation will be done free of charge, irrespective of the status of the current meter.

(ii.) Existing units on current meter will be credited to the new smart meter.

(iii.) Accurate, real-time tracking of electricity usage by the customer.

(iv.) On-line access through a user-friendly portal.

(v.) No need for manual readings.

(vi.) Easier energy management to save on costs.

(vii.) Quicker identification of faults in the electricity supply.

(viii.) Access to safe, legal, and reliable services.

EXCLUSIONS

(i.) Government accounts.

(ii.) Business accounts.

(iii.) Agricultural accounts.

PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES

(i.) The municipality will identify an area for the replacement of existing meters and installation of the smart meters.

(ii.) The residents within the identified area will be informed through various communication platforms.

(iii.) Field workers / Installers will visit the properties in the identified areas to install the smart meters.

(iv.) The fieldworkers will be clearly identified with their uniform and uniquely designed identification card with their passport size picture

and identity number.

(v.) The field workers are expected to carry the South African Department of Home Affairs issued identity card to corroborate the information on

the unique identification card.

(vi.) Once the installation is done, the meter will be duly programmed and the client will be showed how it works.

TIME-FRAME

Term of the project : Three (03) months

Start Date : 15 July 2026

End Date : 15 October 2026

ENQUIRIES

Technical enquiries : Walter Mathebula – 013 759 9091

General enquiries : Gugu Ngomane – 013 759 9284

Customer care centre : 013 759 9301 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

Email address : customercare@mbombela.gov.za

Issued by the Office of the City Manager.

W.J KHUMALO

CITY MANAGER